In Part 1 of "How Are You Still Alive?" you met pilot Billy Dekle of Florida, a flyer who cheated death more than once as he brought in tons of Colombian marijuana, not in large cargo planes, but in smaller singles and twins.

In Part 2, his story continues with a tragic accident that cost a man his life, and with a flight that ended with a long glide back to a shore in Mexico after an engine failure. And then Billy Dekle's final arrest and the harsh mandatory sentences of the time that put him in prison for life.

Along the way you meet his wife Kay who against great odds, keep their family together for the many years he was in prison, and the Florida lawman who arrested him, ending his years on the run. And you'll hear from his brother Bob who was serving as a prosecutor, including at the trial of America's most famous serial killer. And he was doing so while his younger brother was flying loads of pot into Florida.

You''ll hear how the support of advocacy organizations and a presidential act of mercy returned his freedom.

For a detailed history of those years, read Billy & Kay Dekle's book "Flying High With Gringo Billy, available on Amazon.

Thanks to Billy & Kay Dekle, Bob Dekle and Ed Hudson for sharing their stories in this episode. Retired police officer Ed Hudson has also written a book about his arrest of Billy's partner, the late Freddie Crow, and how he later befriended Crow after Crow was released from prison. You'll find Ed Hudson's book "As The Crow Flies: The Redemption of an International Drug Smuggler" available on Amazon.

There are pilots who made millions smuggling and then walked away from the danger and the risk. Some invested their wealth in legitimate businesses and real estate; others blew it on expensive toys and partying. We will never know how many got away with it...because most of those pilots have kept their stories to themselves.

But there are some who have shared their stories for all to hear, and in this episode (the first of two on his story), you'll hear how Billy Dekle made his millions and lost them. You'll hear how he survived flights that others didn't, and when his career as a smuggler came crashing down, Billy went to prison for life.

Billy's story continues in Episode 12 How Are You Still Alive? Part 2.

For a detailed account of his life as a smuggler, and how that affected his family, check out "Flying High With Gringo Billy" written by Billy and his wife Kay, available here on Amazon.

Most drug smuggling pilots were eventually caught. Many went to prison, and when they did, they often lost everything they had. But then again, most didn't start with the wealth and connections of a Palm Beach pilot-the rich kid who made a fortune flying drugs into the United states, and then got away.

When pilot George Williams followed his wealthy father to a new home in Palm Beach, what appeared to be a chance encounter at a local airport proved to be a life-changing moment. That's the day he decided to become an international drug smuggler. Later, another apparent chance encounter on a dusty airport in Honduras would eventually provide his "get out of jail free card".

With his piloting skills and his openness to adventure, George Williams has led a charmed life. It's a life story he tells (under his assumed name) in his book "Snow on the Palms".

"Snow on the Palms" is available on Amazon.